While Osborns were suffering in Ock's grip and the Web Warriors were in trouble at The Triskellion, Aunt May had no idea what was going on. She headed to downtown as she did once in a month. Stopping the car in the parking space, she got out and sighed. Grabbing her bag, she walked in from the gates.

May headed across the area. Walking a bit further…and then she stopped. Gazing at the tombstone, she knelt down. Wiping mud and grass away, she read the name which was written on it.

"Ben Parker, beloved husband, and uncle. RIP."

May took a bouquet from her bag and settled them on her husband's grave.

"Happy anniversary darling…it's been three years now. And I still feel like it was yesterday…"


It was a quick shot. May could hear that echoing from the walls as Ben fell on the floor. And she screamed.

"Aunt May!", Peter ran downstairs. "I heard a gunshot! What was it?"

"Don't come in here!", May commanded the young man. Peter stopped to stairs and tried to look behind the corner.

"Ben! Honey, are you all right?!", May shook him. She gasped as her hand was bloody.

"Oh god…Peter! Call an ambulance! Hurry!"

Peter didn't argue and ran to get the phone. When he was done, he ran to his aunt.

"Help is on the way! Why…?", he stopped as saw his uncle. May tried to cover the scene, but it was too late.

"UNCLE BEN!", Peter screamed and landed to his knees beside him. He took Ben's hand in his own and rubbed it.

"It's gonna be okay Uncle Ben…you are gonna be fine! I promise!", he managed to say between his sobbing. Next thing what Peter could remember, was how Aunt May was crying and the doctors tried to support her. He was staring out of the window, tears falling down his cheeks.

It was he and Aunt May from now on.

"So sorry for your loss…", guests shook Peter and May's hands. The funeral was held two weeks after the accident. And Peter blamed himself for it, all the time.

"It was my fault…", he muttered as he stood at Ben's just sealed grave.

"Uncle Ben…I promise you didn't die for no reason. I promise I'm gonna find him who did this to you. I swear I'm gonna help people as you did. And I won't let you down."

Aunt May gazed at her nephew further away. If only she had known this being the day when that shy, nerd boy died and Spider-Man was born. Would she had acted differently if Peter would have told her about his plans?


May straightened roses which she had bought and watched her husband's grave. With Ben, died something else with her. She realized that it's only a matter of time when your life will be blown away. And you can never know when your time comes. But in the Parker family, May wasn't the one who changed dramatically after the shooting. Peter took the whole blame for the accident since believed that he could have stopped that burglar. And no May or anyone managed to convince him otherwise.

"You know…you should see Peter now. He is so different than then…", May said.

The wind shook leaves in the trees around the graveyard. May tightened the grip on her jacket.

"He is still blaming himself for your fate…and I can't turn his head around. He is so stubborn like you…a family trait perhaps?"

May was so worried about Peter. She had heard nothing after that fateful night. Deep inside she knew that Peter can take care of himself…but he was just a child, who had lots of enemies.

"It's not that I'm not proud of him being Spider-Man…but it's just that Peter never tells how he feels. He has seen so many bad things and has suffered even more…but won't tell about it. He always buries pain and sadness under that mask. Am I doing the right thing that I'm not forcing him to talk?"

Sometimes, May felt so lost without Ben. Peter didn't have a father figure who look up to and she had to raise a traumatized teenager alone, the best way she could think of. But was that enough?

"Peter…he is cutting himself, Ben. If you could hear me, I'm not sure what you would say about it…but I feel that you could have a better grip on him than I do. I was blinded by his pain. And now…he's been missing for a month. What should I do?"

May thought about that day when Peter revealed to her that he was Spidey. But the young man didn't know that she had a doubt about it before the truth came out. Spider-Man sounded so familiar…both of them had a strong sense of justice, they were kind and brave. And when she examined Peter's behavior closer…it didn't need much to put the puzzles together.

"All this time I was afraid to tell you."

"You shouldn't be afraid of telling me anything. This changes nothing, you're still my nephew, I'm still your aunt."

"I'm the man you raised me to be."

"No…he is the man we raised him to be. I'm so proud of Peter…and I know that you would be too dear. After all, Spider-Man was born from your values."

Feeling a drop on her shoulder, May gazed up. The sky turned darker and the wind blew strongly. It was about to start raining. Standing up, May rubbed the tomb with her hand.

"Goodbye, sweetie. Peter and I are missing you every day. Until next month."

When May got in her car and started driving, she sighed. She hoped that despite all this, in the end, the sun will rise again and bring happiness with it.

I really hope so...this suffering must end.

But Peter had his own journey to go through before he could be reunited with his aunt. And on that path, would lie more threats that no one could have thought.