Author's Notes: My schedule is slightly off due to Thanksgiving Break, but it it could be a blessing in disguise: I'll probably be able to put out multiple chapters this week.


"You willing to sign a contract?" Asked the Announcer (Whose name was Edward Sullivan, bur Herman didn't care about that)

"No." Said Herman - Wait, his mask was still on, so he was The Shocker. Wrestler extraordinare. "Too much legal crap. Don't wanna get tied down to it."

"Then why aren't you doing MMA?" Questioned the announcer. "Hell, why not street brawling?"

"Because I'm still searching for a job." Said the Shocker, counting his bills. He had gone into the ring and beat the ass out of a couple wrestlers - The most notable being The Grizzly and the fucking Human Fly, and more importantly of all, one of the champions: Crusher Hogan - without so much as a word. All wrestlers needed a schitck, and Shocker's was that he didn't say a word during a match. Just a pure unstoppable force that wanted to win.

And the announcer recognized that.

"And if I do something outside of wrestling, I get bruised and injured. I can handle pain just fine, but potential employers don't like the people they interview being black and blue." He deadpannded. "Or limping."

"So you want fast, easy money, yeah?"

The Shocker nodded. He was still absolutely befuddled by how the Announcer had a weird, fast, higher accent out of of the ring. Maybe he he had a stage voice. "All I need."

"Just like that Spider-Guy." Muttered the Announcer. He now seemed deep in thought. "He didn't want to sign a contract and take off his mask either...but he did say he'd stop by same time everyday." He suddenly looked up at the Shocker. "Your schedule free on Monday?"

"Yep."

"See, normally we just arrange a huge match between Bonesaw and Crusher Hogan, right?" Began the Announcer. "Cause we've built up the uh, stage rivalry between them. But it's been done before, it's gettin' old. Fans aren't payin' as much as they used to, or buying as much tickets." He leaned forward. "But then you come in without sayin' a word, and you beat up some bozos as warm up, but then you take down Crusher Hogan. And Spidey, he comes up, all smart-alecky, and he beats up Bonesaw in his first match! The crowd's goin nuts! They're actually payin' money now! You see what I'm gettin' at?"

The Shocker nodded.

"So you and Spidey are both being weird about your identities, whatever, I can still pay in cash. But I promise you, if you and Spidey can both show up on Monday, I can build up your match, and the crowd's gonna eat it up. And when the crowd eats it up...we get rich." The Announcer flashed a big toothy smile.

Shocker smiled from under his mask. "How rich?"

"As much as today, at the least." Defeating Bonesaw and Crusher Hogan had earned both Spider-Man and Shocker $10,000 each. "Maybe more."

"Consider my schedule cleared." The Shocker said, putting away his money in a duffle bag and begining to walk away.

"I can make you two famous!"

"I don't need to be famous." Said the Shocker. "I just need the money." And with that, he closed the door, and begin his journey home.


"Mary Jane!" Said Herman as he entered his home, and Mary Jane practically flew out of her room, just in time to see Herman put the duffle bag on the kitchen counter. "We can pay the bills!" He dramatically opened up the duffle bag, revealing its wealth of green content. (Not that kind)

"Yes!" Mary Jane cheered excitedly. "I can't believe our idea worked!"

The "idea" was thought of when Mary Jane and Herman, while scrounging the house, had found an old yellow mask in the basement.

"I used it back when I was a petty criminal." Said Herman. "I was real stupid wearing that dumb mask, no wonder I got caught."

"But you saw the Ad in the Bugle for wrestling!" Said Mary Jane. "$10,000! I know you're a good fighter, Dad! And this mask can be used as like, a symbol of your redemption!"

And that was the story of how Herman Shultz became a wrestler.

"They called me The Shocker." He said, snickering. "Because I didn't come up with a stage name, and they're like 'What a shock!' 'He's a shocker!' and 'Don't mock the shock!" He said all that in an over exaggerated impression of the announcer, which left the two laughing. "Lame name I'll admit, but uh..." he once again dramatically flashed open the bag. "Bills are paid!"

Mary Jane threw herself into a hug with him. "I knew you could do it, Dad!" She cheered. "When you talked about moving away, I was just, I was real worried-"

"Hey hey hey, don't be." Herman said, breaking apart from the hug to look his daughter in the eye. He was still wearing his wrestling outfit. (Which was essentially just blue jeans, and quilt jacket thing whose torso was brown and sleeves were yellow. It was the only thing matching his mask.)

"MJ, we're a team, yeah? We're in this together. And my life, it hasn't been the greatest, but you? Yours is just beginning, and I'm not - I'm not going to let my fuckups ruin it, you understand?" He asked, smiling as he held onto her shoulders. "I promise you MJ, we're going to keep our lives here." He reassured her.

"No matter what."


After discreetly sliding the cash winnings from his victory over Bonesaw onto the drawer in Ben and May's bedroom where they hid the bills and money they were going to pay for it with, (Whew, what a long sentence fragment) Peter confidently strided up to his uncle (His best friend really) and began to say-

"You're not wearing your glasses today." Ben noticed (And interrupted). "Any reason?"

"Contacts." Peter brushed off. Once he was dating Mary Jane, and the pills were paid, and he got Flash and Liz to stop bothering him and his friends, (AKA when his life was perfect) then Peter would tell Ben he had super powers.

"Ben, I'm going to ask out Mary Jane!" Peter declared confidently. He may have been one step away from being a wallflower only a few days ago, but after getting super powers, beating the crap out of Bonesaw, and surviving a thirty foot drop, Peter felt entitled to some newfound confidence. He was no longer a wallflower. Now he was...a wallcrawler!

"You are?" Ben asked, beaming. "That's wonderful, Peter!" He quickly leaned forward. "I'll tell your aunt and we can plan-"

"No!" Peter said, a bit too quickly, causing his uncle to raise an eyebrow. "Sorry, it's just that uh, I feel like May is going to just uh, tease me about it, you know? I just want this between us, like a uh, a guy thing, a father-son thing-"

"If there's something wrong, you can tell us, you know." Ben said, worry and concern on his face. "If our teasing is making you uncomfortable in any way, just talk things out with us." Ben said, smiling in a reassuring tone. "If you just let your frustrations fester and boil up, they'll just explode, eventually. And I like to think we can all talk to each other about anything-"

That was true. Ben had taught Peter about the Birds and Bees, and you know what? It wasn't as awkward as you would think it would be.

"Because I believe honest communication and trust are an absolutely integral to our, you know, family structure." He explained. "Secrets are the downfall of relationships."

Christ, it's like he knows I'm Spider-Man.

Peter sighed. "Look Ben, I'm going to be honestly communicate and trustful of you, okay?" He started, with a serious tone. "I mean it."

Ben nodded.

"Whenever I think of you, I think of you as like, my dad." Peter admitted, blushing as Ben's face was just fucking beaming. "Like my best friend."

Ben's eyes were almost tearing up. "Really?"

Peter smiled and nodded. "Yes, really."

Damn it, now I'm smiling and tearing up to!

Ben always did have that effect on people.

"But with May, it's just.." now Peter was much more serious, and Ben could tell. "I don't think of her as like, my mom." He admitted. "You know?"

There was a solemn slience.

"Peter." Began Ben, tone serious. (But not in a threatening way) "I'm going to honestly communicate and be trustful of you to, okay?"

Peter nodded.

"Before you were born, me and May, well, we wanted a baby. We really did." He took a deep breath. A very long one.

Oh no.

"She was pregnant." Ben admitted, and Peter's heart sank. "But when she was, you know, giving birth..." Ben trailed off, staring at the floor. "There were complications." He admitted after a long while, wiping at a teary eye and sniffling.

"I tried to convince her we could try again, but she just, she snapped. God, she was so hurt and angry and...our marriage came close to ending." He revealed.

All his life, Peter knew that Ben and May were always a casual, light-hearted couple. The thought of them getting angry at each other? Their infallible relationship ending? It was so utterly foreign to Peter. It sounded wrong.

"I didn't approve, but she had an operation to make sure she could never have another child." Ben said, his voice soft and low. "And it really hurt me, because I...I really wanted to be a father." He looked up at Peter, smiling softly with teary eyes. "And then you came along."

Peter wiped away at his own teary eye.

"And maybe it was selfish of me, and maybe it hurts the memory of your parents, but... God, Peter, I love you. Like a son. Like my son." He wiped away at his sniffling nose. "And I'm glad you see me as a father, but...but that's not the point." He became a bit more serious. "When we gained custody of you, I was, I was overjoyed with the idea, because we could, we could be parents without the fear of pregnancy. Sorry, getting off track..." he straightened himself up.

"But I think May was always just afraid of being too attached, you know? She probably wanted to be a mother more than I did, and losing our child was, God, she was utterly devestated. For a long, long time. And we got custody of you and I was glad to have a second chance of being a father, and May..."

"Didn't want to risk being a mom?" Peter offered cautiously. "Wanted to be the cool aunt instead?"

Ben nodded. "I suppose so. Peter, I promise you, me and you can sit down and talk things out with May, if you want."

"Ben, that would be great, but I mean, it's not completely necessary as of uh, as of now." Peter said. "I don't want to have a Disney-movie-family-moment yet. Not today, at least." He explained. "Can you just, you know, talk to her a bit? Tell her she needs to be a bit more serious? Maybe more motherly?"

Ben nodded. "Of course I will, Peter."

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now there was awkward silence.

Wonderful.

"I'm glad I could talk to you about things like this, Peter." Ben said after a few silent moments. "But enough about me and May! I remember you said you were going to ask out Mary Jane..."

"Yeah, I was just wondering on how to, you know..." he trailed off, making erratic hand gestures. "Actually ask her."

"You know, your parents met in high school-"

"Ben!"

"Sorry, sorry." Ben said with a smile. "And I'll give you advice on how I asked your aunt. We were not in High School, and both of us were out of college. We were both adults working together in the police force, and I just..asked her."

"Just like that?" Questioned Peter.

"Just like that." Nodded Ben. "Nothing fancy, no big grand romantic gesture, I just asked her. She agreed to it. We went on a date, it went well, I asked her if she would like to date me, and she said, and I quote, 'Why the hell not." Ben laughed. "God, she's so embarrassed about that now..." he trailed off, staring at the wall with a happy look in his eye.

"But anyway!" He snapped back to attention. "Peter, you and MJ have known each other for years, you don't need to go on a date, and you don't need a big gesture. You're friends. Just...ask her. And you're close enough that if she says no, you probably won't make things weird."

"Probably?" Peter said, eyebrow raised

"Probably." Ben smirked, causing Peter to roll his eyes. "But I'm being serious, Peter. You two have hung out enough times by yourselves to be comfortable around each other. You're best friends, right?"

Peter nodded.

Sorry Gwen and Harry.

"Well you're still going to be friends. I consider May my best friend. So you and MJ should still be friends, you can still do exactly what you've done in the past, except now you can awkwardly hold hands and makeout and all that." He said casually, and Peter blushed and looked away.

"Just remember, she's a person to." Ben said, seriously. "She's not just an object to boost your ego. In good relationships, it's an equal, team effort of trust." He explained.

"Got it." Peter said, nodding. (They've been doing a lot of that lately, haven't they?) "Just be casual. Don't be creep. It's just two friends taking the next step." He said, mostly to himself.

"Exactly!" Ben said. "Heck, just sharing a school day together is practically a date, if you do it right. Peter, when you're with the right person, it's not necessarily about where you are, it's about who you're with. And Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"I think if all goes well...you'll be with the right person."

Peter was smiling widely now, and he couldn't help but throw himself into a hug with his father.

"I love you, Ben."

Ben sighed happily and hugged his son back. "I love you to, Peter."


"With the alarming rise of crime rate, and the assassination attempt on Senator Robert Kelly's life by mutant terrorists, the NYPD has been considering a new policy to allow far more leniency with police firearms and lethal force-"

Ben angrily turned off the TV, though Peter and May still saw it.

"I take it you didn't like that?" Asked Peter.

"No!" Said Ben, looking legitimately angry. "We're police officers, not a paramilitary force! Because this isn't just effecting some more crime ridden areas, this will effect all of the NYPD! We're going to be going around keeping order with threats of force and violence; through fear! And then other departments across the country will see us as an example and follow suit..."

"Yeah, he's always been more of a uh, you know, help old ladies cross the street kind of guy." May whispered to Peter. "Friendly Neighborhood Officer Ben Parker", she finger gunned her nephew. "And all that."

"I can't believe the advice of Officer Thompson is actually being considered-"

"Ben." Said May sternly. "We need to take Peter to school, and then we can argue about it later, okay?"

Ben made a very frustrated sigh, but conceded. "All right all right, but just remember, with Great Power-"

"I know-"

"Comes Great Responsibility!" Ben continued. "May, just because we have the power to gun down people in the streets doesn't mean we should! We have a duty to protect and serve! Not to-"

"For fuck's sake." May angrily pointed at the clock on the microwave. "Look at the time! We can argue about this later!"

Ben saw the time, said "Oh dear!" And immediately grabbed everything he needed to grab. "Lets go, son!" He said to Peter, (Who was still laughing at his "parents" argument) while the Officers Parker ran out the door.


Not only was Peter wearing a new attitude, he definitely looked different. Usually he wore button up shirt with a tie that showed off his scrawny arms and his hair was too neatly combed, but now?

Well he was still more or less wearing the same thing, but remember how Peter was now, for some unfathomable reason, attractive and in good shape? Yeah, he filled out his clothes well now. And his hair? Combed forward, like his idols: Ben Parker, Norman Osborn, and Tony Stark.

He kind of looked like Harry, actually.

He also wasn't wearing glasses either, and instead of slouching, he walked tall and proud. He was already 5'11, so now he was much taller than about 90% of his own grade and school.

And boy was he getting looks.

Liz Allan dramatically pulled down her sunglasses to stare at Peter, who shot her a wink and kept on walking. The smirk on his face grew wider as he heard her say "The fuck?"

But he didn't care about those kind of looks from other people he didn't care about. No, he only cared about the reaction of one specific person.

And he definitely got it.

Mary Jane's jaw had dropped (Not terribly subtle at all) Gwen said "Wow Peter, you look great!" and Harry said "I am digging this new makeover! Me and you, we look like, hmm, maybe not brothers, but we could probably pass as cousins. You guys think we could pass for cousins?" He asked GwenJay. (The term used for when Gwen and Mary Jane are asked the same thing or are referred to together and you're too lazy to say "Gwen and Mary Jane")

Gwen nodded. "Yeah, I can definitely see it. Seriously Peter, your face is all cleared up, you look great!" She complimented.

"Yeah." Agreed Mary Jane, uncharacteristically nervous and staring down, failing to hide how her face was the same color as her hair. "You uh," she did her best to look at him and be confident. "You look great, Peter."

"And you", said Peter. "Look beautiful."

"Ohmygod" Mary Jane muttered, face far too red to look at any of her friends. "I'm, that's uh, that's..." she nervously laughed. "That's uh, that's that's... that's...fuck I can't speak."

"I tend to have that kind of effect on you." Peter said suavely, sitting down as he stared at Mary Jane. Directly in the eyes.

"Is this finally happening?" Harry mouthed to Gwen, who was shaking in her seat like a chihuahua and mouthed back "I think it is!"

"Yeah..." Mary Jane said, confident despite the blush in her face. She bit down on her lip and said "You sure do..."

"The sexual tension just gave me an erection." Harry snickered.

"Ew." Said Gwen.

"Gwen, I think we should uh..." Harry gestured at Peter and Mary Jane, who had dumb smirks on their faces as they kept staring at each other. "Leave 'em to it."

"We should!" Gwen said excitedly, popping out of her chair with such comical, quick intensity that it reminded him of Wack-A-Mole. "I'm not helping you deal with your erection, though."

"Not yet you are."

Gwen slapped Harry on the arm, and he laughed as the two began to walk away... but not before they both turned around and said "Good luck!"

"Mary Jane..." Peter's heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

No going back now.

"I want to be with you." He said, and now his heart wasn't pounding anymore. All the nervousness was gone. "Together." He continued. "Me and you. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Dating."

"Wow." Said MJ, nervously scratching the back of her head and laughing nervously. "You really uh, you really got straight to the point."

"Mary Jane, we've known each other since we were like, kids. Maybe that's kind of weird, but I don't care, that's not important." Peter said casually. "We're old enough to make our own choices, to think what we want. To want what we want. And I want you."

There was a pause.

"That sounded a bit weird." Peter said with a nervous laugh, one Mary Jane reciprocated. "But you get what I mean, right?"

Mary Jane nodded.

"And I think you're my best friend." Peter admitted. "And I mean, you've got Gwen-"

"We can have more than one best friend you know." Mary Jane interrupted. "Of different genders. You've got me and Harry, and I've got you and Gwen, and anyway, Gwen's like, my sister, and give it time and you and Harry'll probably be like brothers." She tried to explain, and Peter couldn't help but agree to everything she just said. "But not in a kinky way."

Peter laughed. Maybe he was being a bit biased, but...he really didn't care.

"But me and you..." Mary Jane waved a finger back and forth between her and Peter? "I don't see us as sibling-y. When I think of us, there is the possibility of it being in a kinky way."

Peter laughed at the same time as he said "What?"

"You know what I mean." Mary Jane said, doing her best not to seem too embarrassed. "I can't see me and Harry dating, for example, that's sibling-y. But me and you?" She smiled, and her blush was gone, but to Peter, she was still as beautiful as ever. She always was. "Yeah, I can see that happening."

"Yeah." Peter nodded. "I do to."


As the two were walking through the halls, they were intercepted by Gwen, who suddenly appeared from nowhere as a short, speeding blonde blur.

"Areyoutwofinallyathing?!" She asked excitedly.

"Nope." Said Peter and Mary Jane at the same time.

"She rejected me." Said Peter, doing his best to hide a smile, and feeling bad as Gwen looked utterly devestated. "Real bad to. It's the end of our friendship."

Gwen looked like she was about to faint.

"It's cause Flash is cheating on Liz with me." Said Mary Jane snickering.

"And I'm gay for Flash." Said Peter, also snickering.

Gwen breathed a massive sigh of release as she tried to recover from the heart attack she almost suffered. "Oh thank God!" She said. "You two almost scared me to death! Wait a minute, are you-"

"You two dating?" Asked Harry, coming out of the restroom that Peter and Mary Jane realized Gwen was waiting in front of.

"Nope." Said Peter and Mary Jane at the same time, smirking, causing Gwen to growl out "Gah, just tell us the truth!"

"Okay, okay." Said Mary Jane, laughing as her much shorter best friend got increasingly angry and frustrated. It was very cute. "Yes, we're now a thing."

"Nice." Said Harry. "Fuckin' finally."

"I will not chide your bad language this one time!" Said Gwen, hugging both Peter and Mary Jane. "Fucking finally!" She cheered.

"Language!" Her three friends chided, as Peter and Mary Jane escaped her hug. (Which was fairly easy, since Gwen was so much shorter than her friends that she couldn't even fully wrap both of them in a hug)

"So expect lots of awkward making out and handholding." Said Peter. "And STD's."

"And teen pregnancies." Added Mary Jane.

"Can I be the godfather?" Asked Harry.

"Hmm." Hmmed Peter, mockingly deep in thought. "Pay us all your money and we'll consider it-"

"Aww, you two are finally dating!"

No...

"Brainy Janey and Little PP, finally dating!"

It was Flash fucking Thompson.

You see, close to every single day Flash and Peter attended the same school, Flash had harassed Peter. He didn't give him wedgies or dump his head in the toilet or stuff him in lockers or anything like that, but he did little things. And those little things added up.

Every once in awhile he would walk past Peter and say "You're gay." He started a rumour that Peter was gay "Because it was funny." He casually called him a faggot when no one was looking, he threw paper messages at Peter that said "You're gay" or "Faggot" and then he'd snicker and laugh to himself while Peter sighed in defeat.

And that was just the homosexual insults.

He literally pushed Peter around, or tripped him, or stole his chair, or his book, or put gum or thumbtacks on his seat, or stole his pencil, or asked for a pencil from Peter (And nicely to, so Peter couldn't refuse) and didn't return it. Or break it. Or chew on it and return it. Or draw and write dumb crap on Peter's books and papers. Or walked down the hallways or ruffled the hair he spent so long combing. Or steal his glasses.

Flash liked calling Peter everything but "Peter". Like Pete. Petey. Parker. Loser. Pathetic. Puny Parker. Or Penis Parker. Or PP, because he was SO FUCKING FUNNY.

Or take away all the friends Peter made in High School. All of them except Mary Jane and Gwen and Harry. Flash Thompson had turned Peter Parker into a loser. A social outcast. Someone you could always get away with picking on, with making fun of.

It was always him.

"Not today." He muttered to himself, but Gwen was already addressing Flash.

"Flash, I know my mother talked to you and your parents about this, we want you to leave us alone." She said, trying to sound diplomatic.

Peter didn't want to be diplomatic. He wanted to stand up for himself. Like Doctor Octavius said. Like Herman said.

"What, I'm just congratulating them!" Flash said, as if he was the victim. "I don't see what the problem is-"

"YOU'RE THE PROBLEM!" Peter yelled as he shoved Flash, who went flying into the lockers. "Its always you that picks on me! Every single god damn day!"

"Kick his ass, Peter!" Mary Jane cheered encouragingly. Had Liz not been the Captain of the Cheer Team and been so antagonistic she made Mary Jane quit, Mary Jane would have been a great cheerleader. Also, fun fact: When your girlfriend is cheering you on to beat up the hate you hate the most, it really encourages you to beat up the guy you hate the most. Especially when said guy had been bullying the both of you for years.

"Stop this!" Gwen pleaded. "Please!"

Harry kept chanting "Fight!" Over and over again...which caused a crowd to form around Peter and Flash. Said crowd was also now chanting "Fight!" With Liz being the main cheerleader to do so.

"Beat his ass, Flash!" Liz yelled encouragingly, being the cheerleader she was.

"Why do you bully me?!" Peter demanded.

"I don't bully you-" Flash denied.

"Yes you do!" Peter yelled, but it was getting harder to hear anything over the crowd. "That's all you do! Every day! Why?!"

"Cause its funny!" Flash said, and that's when it finally clicked for Peter. Flash never had any person grudge or vendetta against him. He did it-

"BECAUSE IT WAS FUNNY?!" Peter yelled.

"That..." said Flash. "And because you're a faggot." He said with that stupid shit-eating smirk.

Peter wanted nothing more than to just hit Flash as hard as he possibly could...but then he'd give away his powers. But Peter had something better to use against Flash, something he had buried because he was too afraid to ever bring it up.

But he wasn't afraid anymore.

"Hey Eugene...you remember that time when we were kids, and I went over to your house?"

Peter couldn't help but smirk as Flash's own smirk vanished.

"Remember when you complained what your dad did to you and your family?"

"Shut." Hissed Flash, with absolute murdererous rage in his voice and on his face. "Up."

"I think you bully me because you're jealous." Spat Peter. "Your Dad said 'Why couldn't you be smarter than Peter'? Your dad wondered why you were so pathetic!"

"Peter!" Gwen called out in vain, and Mary Jane and Harry and Liz and Harry and the entire damn crowd wished they had popcorn.

"You were jealous because I had more friends than you! Because my dad was a police officer and he didn't beat me! And all those times you called me gay?"

Flash's eyes narrowed as he stomped towards Peter.

"It's because YOU'RE A FAGGOT!"

Flash was a strong guy. If he really wanted to hurt someone, he could hurt them.

He wanted to hurt Peter.

So he punched him as hard as he could in the face.

Peter's face didn't budge, but Flash screamed "FUCK!" in pain as he clutched the hand that smashed itself against Peter's face.

Peter, meanwhile, was laughing. "Guess it's not so fun to bully people when they fight back, huh?" He asked, grinning widely.

Flash threw another punch at Peter with his remaining hand, but Peter caught him arm and used Flash's own momentum against him, throwing him against the lockers.

"Oh c'mon Flash, it's nothing personal..." Peter said, grabbing Flash by his Letterman with both arms and slamming him against the lockers, keeping him suspended against it, something Flash had done many times to Peter. "Cause it's funny!"

"Enough of this!" Gwen said, marching up to the two brawlers. "Peter, please, stop this, this isn't you!" She pleaded, grabbing a hold of his arm.

Peter backhand bitchslapped her down to the ground, while he used his own hand to keep Flash suspended and pinned. He didn't care about what he was doing, he was finally standing up to Flash-

"ENOUGH."

That's not Gwen's voice.

While the command came from a short blonde woman who wasn't Gwen, it still terrified Peter, because he recognized who it was.

Charlotte Stacy. Gwen's Mother. His neighbor. The Principal.

Oh shit.

"Haha." Taunted Flash. "You're so fucked now."

"BOTH OF YOU!" Roared the Principal, who while shorter than almost everyone in the crowd (Including her own daughter) clearly terrified them all. "MY OFFICE!" Her eyes narrowed at Peter and Flash. "Now."

She looked at Gwen (Who was on the floor, clutching her face and sniffling) and in a sweet and gentle voice, said "Aww, it's okay sweetie, we'll send you to the nurse and you'll be right as rain!"

She looked at Peter...who was still awkwardly holding up Flash against the wall.

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME! YOU TWO, MY OFFICE!" She stood up and glared at the crowd. "AND EVERYONE ELSE, GET TO CLASS!"

The crowd scattered and dispersed and skedaddled right the fuck out of there... but Peter could still hear Liz cackling. (She had been laughing ever since Peter slapped Gwen to the ground)

"And you, sweetie." Said Charlotte softly, smiling a warm, comforting smile as she helped Gwen to her feet. "We'll visit the nurse, and since you were the only one that tried to stop the fight, you'll be our witness to tell me what happened!"

She glared at Peter and Flash.

"I want the truth." She all but hissed. "And nothing but the truth."

I am so fucked.


Author's Notes: Ah, this chapter so beautifully covered everything I wanted it to cover. We got Spider-Man and Shocker as wrestlers (With Spidey being very talkative in costume and not so much out of costume, while Shocker likes to talk out of costume...but not so much in it)

We also got to learn a lot more about May and Ben. I really like my version of Ben. Unlike most versions where he's just a fat old guy that says his line and dies, I really wanted to give the Parkers depth. Ben, for example, has a very cheery, optimistic, noble, heroic personality. I imagine him to be played by Rob Lowe/Chris Traeger. He's handsome and fit and lean, and he's Peter's father and best friend. Not literally his father, of course. May on the other hand, was a lot more casual, and I liked exploring the sad (But very real) idea of how one child prefers one parent over the other/ One parent doesn't really want a child. Ben is all about responsibility and gladly Peter, May...not so much. She's not villanous or anything, but she's just a bit more REAL in that regard.

I also tried to bring in the "Great Power" line without being too on the nose, to give it relevance. And by making Ben and May police officers, they know full well what having power is like, and they know they must use it responsibly. They're already instilling that in Peter. Ben and May are important to Peter, and imo they should be made into distinct characters and not just plot devices. I'm trying to do something different with them.

Now about Peter asking out MJ and fighting Flash...first of all, I cannot stand the modern interpretation of Peter being a pushover and a little bitch. Peter only spent forty issues in High School (Out of thousands!) And he wasn't shoved into lockers or toilets. He was verbally mocked and harassed. And even in Amazing Fantasy 15 he asked out a girl! Granted, she rejected him, but still! Peter has spent most of issues juggling the responsibility of being Spider-Man, not bullied in the most cliche way possibles. I was never shoved into lockers or toilets. I can't relate to that. But I can relate to being verbally mocked and harassed. We all have that ONE person we just want to tell off.

I would have two clear examples of how NOT to do Peter: In the Spectacular Show, Peter accidentally knocks himself into trash trying to take off his costume and he smells the rest of his day, his classmates make fun Tof him and refuse to sit with him. That's not relatable, it's pathetic and humiliating. There's a comic called Spidey, and in that Peter ALWAYS lets Flash bully him and shove his head in toilets. He doesn't want to hurt Flash. I get that. You know what I don't get? Getting Flash to stop. Getting help from teachers or principal or ANYONE. He's letting himself be bullied and humiliated. I can't stand that. In any writing. You want an example of standing up to bullies done right? Harry Potter. He doesn't let Draco give him wedgies. He STANDS UP FOR HIMSELF.

That brings us back to Peter asking out MJ and fighting Flash. Most guys all have that fantasy of being super sauve and confident and asking out the girl and telling off/beating up the guy they don't like. I'm one of them. Peter is one of them. Peter was nervous and afraid and insecure, and now he has powers and now he's not. He asked out the girl. He was always AFRAID she'd say no, but he grew a pair and she said "Yes." He was always AFRAID of Flash, but now he's not.

"The small things add up." Is the best way to describe Flash and Peter. Flash was always jealous of Peter and insecure in himself, so he took it out on Peter, who never fought back. And then it became part of Flash's schedule. It made him laugh. I know what that's like, because I used to harass someone every day because I thought it was funny. I didn't even realize it. They talked things out with me, and I changed myself. I think THAT is probably the most realistic, relatable, and best take on bullying I could use for this story.

And Peter, man he fucking SNAPPED. It was great. Ever wanted to say every single bad thing you know about someone to their face? Ever been in the shower and thought about what you WOULD do, what you SHOULD have done, but never will? Peter has. Every single day.

He always thought about asking out MJ. He always thought about standing up to Flash. And so he finally did. Because he has great power...but no responsibility.

Fun fact, most of Amazing Spider-Man Issue #8 features Flash literally pissing off Peter so much with verbal taunts that Peter literally challenges Flash to a a physical fight. So Peter getting pissed off at Flash and trying to fight him is perfectly in character.

You also have to remember, they're all in a public high school. Not a fancy science one. It's rough and tumble. Even Gwen gets corrupted and swore. If you think it's out of character for teens to use some slurs that were used in this chapter...it's really not. I used them. Lots of people use them. They're teens. They're Freshman. In 2008. Just keep that in mind, this my spin on Peter, who goes through all the ups and downs of using his powers, for better and worse. This is not Tom Holland's Spidey, or Toby's, or Andrew's, so if you want that, too bad.

Appearance wise, I would say My Peter would be most similar to how Andrew Garfield's Peter did in ASM1. Not 2, he had some fat in chin and weird stubble facial hair. But Andrew in ASM1? He had the hair, the clean face, the glasses, he was perfect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a Peter who isn't a little bitch and a loser, he just has to be written RIGHT.

Whew, that was long. Anyway, make sure to review your thoughts, ask ANY and ALL questions, I'm willing to answer anything. And like and subscribe and follow and share and all that.