Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Marvel; all rights belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 52

Choices


New York City

BARAKARAKAKA!

Spider-Man dodged the hail of gunfire all the while humming to a car jingle he had stuck in his head.

He flipped through the air before unleashing a slew of web-shots that struck the bank robbers, trapping them in the adhesive webbing.

The vigilante landed on the ground before kicking a thug in the back, sending him tumbling into his compatriots.

"Damn you!" the thugs screamed before a ball of webbing sealed his mouth shut.

"Tsk, tsk. There are kids around here." Peter smiled sadistically under his mask.

The sounds of police sirens alerted the teen to the imminent arrival of the cops. He fired a web into the air, snagging it on a building before leaping up into the air.

"Another robbery stopped." Spider-Man muttered as he swung through the air.

'Things have been more hectic than ever! This is the fourth robbery today alone!' he thought.

"Geez I wish MJ didn't have to go out with her aunt today." He muttered as he flipped in the air. "Having someone to talk too would be much better than this."

He fired another web-line before pulling himself onto the wall of a building. He looked at his web-shooter's display screen and tapped into the city's security cameras for any other disturbances.

"Nothing? Really?" Spider-Man asked in disbelief.

"That's just typical." he muttered.

WEWHOOWEWHOO!

Peter looked down at a fire truck, its sirens wailing,

"Is it bad that I feel excited for this?" he questioned before leaping into the air.

He fired a web-line and swung after the speeding vehicle.


The fire raged as people ran, smoke billowing from the house-shaped inferno.

"Well fuck me." Peter muttered as he perched on the edge of a building.

The fire had engulfed last five floors of the building, turning the once nice apartment into a blazing catastrophe.

The fire fighters reached the curb and hopped off the truck. The broke out the hose and nozzle and rushed towards the fire hydrant.

Three firemen ran into the building charging up the steps until the reached the smoke filled stairwell.

"Come on!" the lead man said.

"The fires on the top five floors! Anyone in there?"

"That's why were checking it out!"


"Andy stay on the ground!" a man shouted as he kept his son below the smoke.

"Dad I can't breathe!"

"Just keep your head down! We'll make it through this!" the father stated.

He looked around frantically trying to find a way out, but the fire had spread through most of the apartment.

KRASSSAH!

The dad turned his head to see a trio of firemen stepping into the room.

"Is anyone here?!" the lead man shouted.

"Here!" the father cried out as he gestured towards his son.

"It's okay Andy, we're saved!"

The boy looked up as two of the firemen grabbed his father and pulled him up.

The third grabbed the small boy and lifted him into his arms as the room around them began to shake.

"Emilio!"

The floor above the two broke, allowing a massive pile of burning wood to separate the two from the remaining fighter and the boy's father.

"ANDY!"

"Sir! Get back!" the fireman screamed pulling the father away from the pile of burning wood.

"Emilio! Are you alright?!" the second fighter screamed.

"Kaf…kaff…" Emilio looked down at the young boy to see he was okay.

"We're fine! But the damn floor collapsed!"

"Can you see an exit? A fire escape?!"

"No! Get the dad out of here! We'll find another way out!"

"Keep moving and stay clear of the smoke! We'll come back for you!

"NO! ANDY!" the man screamed

"DADDY!" the young boy screamed back in fear.

"Sir! Come with us! Emilio will get him out!"

The two men pulled the reluctant father out of the burning apartment and into the stairwell.

"It's okay kid!" Emilio said as he kept the boy close.

"We'll find a way out of this! I'll make sure you see your dad!"

More debris fell from the ceiling, releasing more flames and smoke onto the two.

"GAH!"

"AAAHH!"

KRARSSAHH!

The two saw a window shatter as a red and black clad figure rolled into the room.

Spider-Man turned to see the firefighter and the young child, right beneath a crumbling floor.

"Duck!" he shouted.

The firemen looked up to see a collapsing ceiling.

THWIP!

A large net of webbing slammed into the ceiling, it was quickly followed by more blobs of impact webbing to seal it together like wet cement.

"Move!" Spider-Man shouted.

The firefighter ran towards the vigilante as he motioned towards the window.

The man looked down to see they 12 stories up.

"We won't survive that jump!"

Spider-Man fired a web-line to the man's waist and attached it to the windowsill

"Ever bungee-jump before?" he asked.

"Uh…once."

"Then you'll be fine." He said.

KREEKK!

The two me looked up to see the webbing holding the ceiling was burning, and the floor above was threatening to collapse.

"Go!" he shouted.

The fireman glanced at the hero before looking down at the ground below.

"Don't make me push you." Spider-man threatened.

"What about you?"

"I'll check for anyone else! Now go!" He shouted, pushing the man out the window.

He watched as the fireman gripped the child tighter as they fell.

The line went taught before they bounced up. The line repeated the action until they were left dangling a few feet off the ground.

"Okay…now…" he closed his eyes and concentrated on his hearing. He did what Matt had taught him, ignore everything else, focus on the sound, focus on one sound.

And he heard it.

"HEEELLP! PLEASE!"

Peter let the sound fade as he returned to his surroundings allowing his senses to catch up with him.

His spider-sense flared, alerting him to the crumbling ceiling. He smashed through a wall, allowing the apartment behind him to crumble to the ground.

"Gah…" he muttered as he brushed flames off of his suit. He grunted as he saw the tiny scorch marks on his costume but pushed it to the back of his mind when he heard the screams.

"Two people…kids!"

He shot from the ground, smashing through a burning door. He instantly regretted it as the flames burst to life with new vigor at the additional oxygen that flooded the room.

"Gruh!"

He fired off several globs of impact webbing that weakened the flames, but it didn't extinguish them.

"Note to self, make flames retardant webbing!"

He quickly pushed through the flames, smothering them with as much webbing as he could while he fought his way to the screaming kids.

He finally reached his destination in the form of another burning apartment.

This time however, the living room was deserted.

"I know you're here! I'm not gonna hurt you!" he called out.

He saw movement near a closet and turned to see it close. He wrenched open the door to see two young girls huddling in the corner.

"Come on!" he shouted.

They coward in fear at the masked vigilante.

"We don't have much time! Take my hand and come on!" he shouted.

The youngest of the girls began to sob in fear.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" Peter muttered. "Listen, I'm not gonna hurt you just come wi—"

The second he extended his hand the girls pushed themselves up against the wall harder.

Spider-Man turned to see the fire was only getting worse. He looked at the girls and then back at the burning room.

"Fuck it." he said. Without a second thought he pulled off his mask to show them his face.

The girls looked at him in shock.

He held out his hand again and offered it to them.

"See? Just a guy. Now come on!"


"This sucks." A girl muttered as she walked through the crowded streets.

"My first day off and I can't think of a single thing to freaking do!" she muttered.

She looked around at the large crowd and sighed before adjusting the hoodie she used to cover her blonde hair.

She continued to walk before the smell of smoke caught her attention.

She looked up to see an apartment complex was burning. Dozens of people surrounded the accident sight as the firefighters tried to put out the inferno.

The girl looked at the crowd and saw pieces of flaming debris falling all around the street.

"Oh Coulson's gonna kill me for this." She muttered.

She sprinted into an alleyway before throwing off her hoodie. She removed the yellow t-shirt and black skinny jeans she wore to reveal a sleek-black bodysuit that left her arms exposed.

"Okay…" she breathed. "Time to be a hero."


Spider-Man broke through another wall as he carried the two girls on his back. He slipped his mask back on to stop himself from inhaling anymore smoke.

'Damn!' he thought as he looked at the raging inferno around him.

He tried to smother the flames again with his webs but found it barley halted the fire.

"I'm scared!" one of the girls cried as she clung tighte to the teen's back.

"It's okay kids, I'll get you out!" he shouted back.

'Yeah right! Dammit Parker! Think! In less than a minute these girls might die from the smoke!'

FWOOOSSHHH!

Spider-Man turned to see all the flames in the area were being sucked out one of the nearby windows.

"What the…"

Not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Spider-Man lunged for the opening it made and crashed through the window.

He fired a web-line onto one of the nearby buildings and swung down to the street below.

He let the kids off his back and saw the fireman he had rescued returning the son back to his father.

Spider-Man saw that most of the crowd wasn't looking at him, but behind him.

He turned around to see a single flying figure completely engulfed in flames, absorbing the remaining fire from the building.

"Oh…guess Johnny's out an about. Could've sworn he was in space though."

Spider-Man fired off another web-line and puled himself past the flaming being.

"Johnny! Meet me on the roof!"


Spider-Man landed on the top of the adjacent building and waited. He patted his suit free of any soot or scorch marks, coughing as he inhaled some dust.

He coughed for about a minute until he saw a light shine from behind him.

"Hey Johnny, I thought you were off in spaaaaccceee…who are you?"

In front of Peter stood a woman completely engulfed in orange fire.

"Well I'm not the Human Torch, am I?" she said.

"Uh…unless you got a sex-change since the last time I saw you, no."

The woman sighed as she touched down on the roof, the flames around her dying at her command. As the flames died Peter got a better look at the woman, and his jaw dropped.

"Liz?!"

"Hey Pete." Liz Allen said as she brushed her hair back behind her ear.

"You look…uh…different." He said as he saw her in her form-fitting outfit. "In a good way, I mean! Just, didn't know you were into spandex was all."

"Yeah, well my eyes are up here." She said teasingly.

"Sorry." Peter replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, you just had to play the hero huh?' Liz said with a small smile.

"I could say the same for you."

"Yeah, well, I was in the neighborhood." She said with a smirk.

"Yeah…about that…"Peter growled. "Why the fuck did you disappear?!" Peter shouted.

Liz stepped back, startled by his sudden shift in mood.

"Excuse me?"

"You left the warehouse and joined up with SHIELD! You do realize MJ was beating herself up for that, and so was I! Worse I had to find out from a SHIELD drone that they had you!"

"Pete I…"

"No. You know what? I'm moving past it." He said holding his palm out to stop any excuse.

"I'm sorry." Liz said.

"Just forget it." He said.

Peter sighed and hopped onto the building's ledge, sitting down on the stone surface.

"How ya been?" he asked.

Liz smiled a bit before walking over and sitting down next to him.

"I've been better." She said.

"SHIELD sucks that badly? Should've figured."

Liz frowned.

"Pete, I know you hate their guts, but they're not the worst people in the world. I know they don't exactly work off a moral compass, but they do the job that no one else wants."

"Being douchebags isn't that hard." Peter grunted.

"Peter." Liz said sternly. "SHIELD is protecting people who can't protect themselves. They have a shitty view of the world, that I admit, and they do too! But they've done plenty of good in the long run."

"Please tell me that Fury didn't pitch that to you."

"He didn't. Besides, you should give the guy some more credit, I think he's got a soft spot for you."

"What?"

"Listen, when they found me and Flash—"

"And Mattie."

"Yeah…and her."

Peter raised an eye but Liz continued.

"He offered to train us, or find a way to suppress our powers until we could control them, sure that was blackmail to a degree, but I'm at least able to control my powers. I haven't had any combustion incidents in over a month!"

Liz held out her hand and ignited it. The flames danced on her palm before she closed it, extinguishing the flames.

"I guess that's a plus." Peter said.

"Yeah…and you've got a pair of eyes and ears inside of SHIELD now." She said with a smile.

"Never thought of that…so…how's it going between you and Flash. I mean…after all him and Mattie…"

"Yeah." Liz said with a small scowl. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Fair enough."

"Speaking of teammates, you know Scarlet Spider, right?"

"Uh…yeah, oh god, he didn't hit on you did he?!"

"What? No! Why would he do that?"

"N-No reason…just, uh…continue." Peter muttered.

"Okay…anyway, is he like your friend or something?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He just seems to know a lot more about us than what's in his file. I mean, he even knew about that mishap that happened on my third date with Flash! You didn't tell him that, did you?!"

"What? No! Listen, he's a smart guy, I'm sure he found out through SHIELD, somehow."

"But SHIELD never monitored us until they found out we had powers."

"Anyway, how are Flash and Mattie holding up?" Peter said, dodging the question.

"Fine for the most part. How are you?"

"Other than having my friends taken away, learning both my parents were undercover spies, and seeing Harry isn't full on psycho anymore, I've been…meh."

"Really? Meh?"

"Yes. Meh."

"Okay, I'll bite. Why are you 'meh'?"

Peter sighed. "Me and MJ…we…sorta had a fight, and I'm not to sure if we ever made up about it."

"What was it about?"

"When Mattie and Flash joined SHIELD, I kinda blew up on them as Spider-Man. MJ suggested I tell them my real identity to make them trust me."

"And you shot that idea down."

"Yeah…the conversation turned to why I didn't want them to know…and then it lead to me bringing up Gwen's death."

"Smooth."

"Hey I'm not proud of it, okay? But I…if they knew, I can't shake the feeling that something would happen to them."

"Then maybe it's a good thing SHIELD found them."

"What?"

"Listen, SHIELD maybe full of pretentious asshole for the most part, but they know they're stuff. If Mattie and Flash get trained, they'll be able to handle themselves. Then maybe, just maybe…you could tell them the truth."

"I don't know Liz..." Peter said, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey, its just a suggestion. But it's your life. Just don't have any regrets."

"When'd you become a wise-man? Or wise-woman in this case."

Liz stood up from her seat and stretched.

"I never said I was one. But…I just saved a bunch of lives, despite the fact that I might be catching Hell for it later."

"No regrets?"

Liz laughed before smiling.

"Nope. I'm gonna live my life with no more regrets. And neither should you."

"Guess not. It was good to see you Liz." He said while standing up.

Liz wrapped him in a hug a second later.

"Good to see you too, Pete."

Peter returned the hug before reluctantly letting go.

"Well…I better get going." She said before her body burst into flames, transforming her into her new identity.

"Say hi to MJ for me she said as she slowly rose from the ground."

"Will do. Hey!" he shouted, grabbing her attention before she flew away.

"Yeah?"

"You got a name?" Peter asked while grinning beneath his mask.

"A name?"

"Yeah. You just made your public debut. Gotta have a name for yourself."

"It's Firestar." She said.

"Firestar." Peter repeated.

"It doesn't sound bad, does it?" she asked.

"Nah." Peter responded. "I think it suits you."

Firestar smiled before shooting off into the air, leaving a trail of flames behind her.


Hells Kitchen, Unknown Location

"Herman, if I may confide in you." Mysterio said as he leaned back in his chair.

Shocker stood in front of the man's desk, arms behind his back. "Sure." He replied.

"Do you know why villains always lose?" Mysterio asked.

"Because the hero kicks their asses?" he replied sarcastically.

Mysterio chuckled before shaking his head.

"No. It's because they're dumb. Take for example, Doctor Doom."

"I don't really think that's a fair assessment." Shocker said before Mysterio raised a hand to stop him.

"Please don't interrupt me."

Shocker remained quiet as Mysterio continued.

"Now, when I mean dumb, I don't mean stupid like that Rhino fellow who Spider-Man tore in half. I mean they lack vision."

"Uh…hate to interrupt again boss, but I don't think world domination is lacking in vision."

"Herman, if you ruled the world, what would you do with it?" the masked man asked.

"Uh…I…I don't know."

"Neither would I! Well…beyond shout at it, I've got nothing. It's so…so boring! What would you do once you were in power? Fix it? Destroy it? Remake it in your own image? No."

"So you're saying Doom is an idiot. Am I hearing you right?" Shocker asked.

"Yes and no." Mysterio replied. "He's a genius, there's no room for doubt about that. But he's so single minded. Destroy the FF. Rule the world. But look where that's gotten him, nowhere."

"Doesn't he own a country?"

"Yes. A country of gypsies, peasants and third-world people. Exciting."

"India seems to be doing good." Shocker replied.

"That's not my point. My point is, where does revenge lead you? What do you get from it? A sense of accomplishment? Sure. A feeling of pride that you've proved yourself the better man? Of course. But it's all fleeting."

Mysterio rolled away form his desk and stood up.

"Herman, when I sprung you from jail, did the revenge ever cross your mind?"

"Revenge? Against the web-head? Well sure it did, but I—"

"But you what?"

"I…I thought it was a waste of time."

Mysterio clapped his hands together in applause before point his finger as his lieutenant.

"Exactly! That is exactly it! It's useless! Even if you did beat Spider-Man to a pulp, blow his brains out, another hero would just swoop in and save the day. Sure, you could come back and kill them, but what's the fucking point? It's one step forward—"

"Two fuckin' steps back." Shocker finished. He looked up at his boss who was staring back at him.

"Oh…sorry boss." Shocker said, realizing he interrupted him again.

"You have the right idea, Herman, my friend. Why get revenge? Why not just accomplish a goal that will actually get you somewhere? That's why people like you and me are the real geniuses."

He walked towards a small fridge in the corner of the room and removed a frosted bottle of wine and two cold glasses from it.

He set the items down on the table before popping the wine bottle.

"Sure, we have the brains to design spiffy tech like the ones we wear now, but the true genius is to have the brains to get away with an actual crime! Money! In less than a few months we have a solid support of man-power, financial backing, and a solid base of operations while simultaneously running the drug trade!"

"And we're keeping our heads below the water. Where the super-freaks can't see us."

Mysterio poured the wine into the two glasses. He handed one to Herman who took it.

"Herman, people like you and me, we're going to rule this city. The freaks maybe the public's source of hope, but we are the backbone. The ones who get things done. And that is why we will win where other shave failed."

Mysterio slide back his mask, partially revealing his mouth, and took a sip of his wine.

Shocker pulled up the seam of his own mask so that it just went past his mouth. He also drank his wine.

"So why not drown ourselves in decadence? Why not enjoy the good life? That's all we ever really wanted."

"Ain't that the dream boss." Shocker said.

"Yes. But, remember, we musn't let the water's of power and decadence—"

"Dull the blade that is our minds. Sorry." he replied sheepishly.

"Hehehe…" Mysterio chuckled. He pulled down his mask and threw the glass at his office window, shattering the drink.

"To us Herman! The true masterminds!"

"To us, boss!" Shocker said with a grin.


Solfen's Office, Next Day

"A therapist?" Peter asked.

"Yes."

"Why do I need it?" he asked, pretending that he didn't already know the answer.

"I'm worried about you Peter." Aunt may responded. "You disappear without telling me, you're involved in taking photos of that awful Spider-Man character—"

"Awful? Aunt May, he's a hero."

"He's a coward who hides behind a mask. In my experience, guys who wear masks have something to hide. And people like that aren't heroes."

"What about the Avengers?" Peter asked as he felt his temper flare.

"They're a public team! And sanctioned by the government! Everyone knows who they are, they're not afraid to step out of the shadows and help the world. Spider-Man just hides in the shadows."

Peter stared at his aunt in shock. He lowered his gaze as he felt his talons dig into his palm, they had ejected from his fingers when his anger rose.

"Aunt May…sometimes things can't come out of the shadows. Sometimes the best good comes from the shadows. The kind no one will know about. The kind no one wants to know."

"Peter, I don't like the way you think of this Spider-Man character. He's not a hero."

"Why can't anyone see that?" Peter muttered.

"What?" May asked.

"Why can't people just admit that he's doing good? Why can't people see he's necessary?!"

"Necessary? Necessary?! Peter he goes out at night and breaks people's bones! He sends more people to the hospital than the police! I'm amazed none of his victims haven't ended up in the morgue!"

"He's not a killer! And those 'victims' deserved it! They were drug dealers! Criminals! The same kind of people who took Uncle Ben from us!"

May reeled back in shock.

"Those 'victims' stole him from me. From you. I can't help but think if I'd…if someone like Spider-Man had been around then…maybe he'd still be here."

"You think Ben would want this?" May asked in horror. "You think he'd want that maniac running around and terrorizing people?"

"The only people that should be terrified are the crooks and leg-breakers that hurt people for selfish gain!"

"And you think Spider-Man isn't like that?!" May shouted.

"I know he isn't!" Peter shouted back.

May stared at her nephew in horror. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it instead.

After a long moment of silence she finally spoke.

"Dr. Solfen is waiting inside. I'll pick you up in an hour."

Peter opened the car door before slamming it shut. It took all his self-control not to shatter the glass from the window.

He walked up the building's steps with his hands in his pockets. He walked through the buildings office and stopped in front of a young woman working at a receptionist's desk.

"Appointment?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"Uh, Peter Parker to see Dr. Solfen, please?"

The woman typed in some commands on her computer before she nodded. She pressed the intercom switch on her desk and spoke.

"Your 4 O'clock is here Doctor."

"Thank you Samantha. Send him in."

"The Doctor will see you now." The girl responded.

Peter shrugged his shoulders and entered the office.


Inside he found a well-furnished room with a couch-chair and a gorgeous blonde sitting at a desk. The woman looked up to see Peter enter the room.

"I assume that you're May's nephew, Peter?"

"Yeah. That's me."

"Please." The woman said, gesturing to the sofa. "Have a seat while I get things ready."

Peter nodded before he sat down on the sofa. He watched as Solfen removed a yellow stone before pocketing it in her jacket's pocket.

The woman got up from her seat and moved to sit in the chair next to the sofa. She pulled out a recording device and placed it on the table that separated the couch and the chair.

"For the sake of quality, this session will be recorded, per the standard agreement, the only people allowed to hear this are myself and you. Standard doctor-patient confidentiality."

"Okay." Peter said.

"Good." The woman pressed the recorder before pulling out her pin and clipboard. "Where would you like to begin?"

"Uh…listen, I know you probably get this a lot, but I don't need therapy." Peter said, doing his best to sound polite.

The woman merely smiled. "Peter, no matter how cliché this sounds, admitting you need help is the first step to getting it. Your aunt is concerned about some of the hobbies you carry on with, and the activities associated with them."

"Like what?" Peter asked.

"I guess I'll list one of her concerns and I'll allow you to explain. Does that sound good?"

"Sure." Peter sighed.

"Now, from what your aunt has told me, you're employed at the Daily Bugle as a photographer, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And what exactly do you photograph? What's the key subject they have you assigned to?"

"Getting photos of Spider-Man. Whether he's in a fight or just swinging around town."

"And I assume this profession has quite the level of danger to it correct? Spider-Man activities aren't exactly known for subtlety."

"It's an occupational hazard. Nothing I can't handle."

"Your aunt seems to think otherwise. She doesn't like this job you have, especially with someone as dangerous as Spider-Man."

"What?" Peter growled. He could feel his talons pierce his palms as he kept his hands balled into fists.

"Your aunt is afraid of Spider-Man, and she believes that you have an unhealthy obsession with him."

"It's not an obsession, and before you start saying its denial, allow me to say something, it's my job. I'm paid a decent wage to get the guys photos."

"There are plenty of other jobs that pay decent wages…"

"Not as much as this one does." Peter said.

"What about Oscorp?"

Peter's face scowled at the word.

"You had a very lucrative internship for someone your age. It paid well and almost guaranteed you a position in any science career. And from what I've been told, you have a natural gift for that. Why did you quit?"

"It was personal."

"Did it have something to do with the what happened to Harry Osborn? I understand that you and him were good friends since childhood. I can only imagine what that must've been like, seeing him as that kind of monster."

"It wasn't his fault." Peter growled.

"From the reports, it seems like he exposed himself to a drug that—"

"It wasn't his fault!" Peter shouted while sitting up.

"He knowingly used a super-human steroid that Oscorp had been developing for quite some time. I believe that he knew wh—"

"Harry didn't know just how bad that junk would've messed him up. And you don't know shit about Harry Osborn."

Dr. Solfen frowned. "I think that a little harsh, I've read up on him."

"That doesn't mean you know him. And that doesn't mean you know me either."

Solfen smirked. "I think I know you better than you think. I think I know why you seem to favor Spider-Man. I know why you idolize him."

"I think he's a hero. Plain and simple."

"I think he's what you want to be." Solfen grinned. Her smile almost seemed sadistic before it shifted back into her cheerful smile.

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked.

"I think you want to be Spider-Man. I think you see in him, what you wish you could be. From what I've gathered, you're a smart, brave and talented young man with a promising future if you simply used your talents for the right purpose. But there's one more thing that people don't see, or that they choose to ignore. You're angry, Mr. Parker. And you see Spider-Man as the person you wish you could be."

Peter cringed. "What are you basing this on?"

"Your admiration of him seems to stem from envy. He's able to do what you want, but can't. He's able to hurt people you want to hurt, much like that mugger…the one you beat to death."

Peter's blood ran cold.

"I think that you enjoyed killing him, that you had power over someone else. I think that's why you follow around a criminal in a mask. You want to be him."

Peter stayed silent.

"Do have anything to add to this Mr. Parker?" Solfen asked with a smug smile.

"Yeah, we're done here." Peter got off the couch and walked to the door.

"We still have forty minutes." The doctor said.

"Then shove them up your ass!" he screamed slamming the door shut.

Peter stormed past the receptionist who didn't even glance at him. He ran past the doors, sprinting at inhuman speed as he put as much difference between himself and the witch of a doctor he just fled from.


Karla Solfen smiled as she leaned back in her seat. She smiled to herself before pulling out her cell phone and dialing a number.

"Hello?" Aunt may asked.

"May, I just finished the session with your nephew."

"Already? But it's only been twenty minutes!"

"He stormed out not even a minute ago."

"I'll call him and tell him to come back."

"No, I don't think that will be necessary. We had quite a break through today. Just have him come see me next week and we'll continue where we left off."

"Are you sure? Maybe I should talk to him…"

"May, remember, calm yourself."

"I…I…yes…" The woman said a she voice leveled out to a near monotone level.

"Remember, just do as I say. I'm a doctor after all." Solfen said with a terrible grin on her gorgeous face.


Queens, Parker Residence

"This is where you've been hiding?" A man said as he stared at the front door of the Parker Residence. "How…unimpressive, especially for you, Peter." The man growled before he stepped onto the porch.

He headed towards the door and tried to open it. The door wouldn't budge.

"Of course they'd lock it." The man grunted before three sphere-like robots tumbled out of his pocket. The spheres hit the ground, deploying eight wiry legs that surprisingly were able to handle their body weight.

The robots crawled up the walls of the house. They dropped in through the chimney and landed in the middle room before scurrying towards the door. They hopped onto the wooden barrier before they unlocked the door, allowing it to swing inwards.

The man in the trench coat walked into the modest household with a scowl on his face.

"To think such a lowly creature could stall my progress." The man growled. He looked around the room but saw no one was home.

"And now my time is wasted." He grunted.

"Peter?" a voice called out.

The man slowly turned to see a young redheaded teen walk into the house.

"I saw the door was open and I…who're you?!" she shouted.

"You know Parker…" the man said as he turned around fully.

Mary Jane backed up as she saw who she was speaking to.

"I guess you'll do then." Doctor Octopus grinned. Four mechanical tentacles tore through his trench coat before wrapping around the screaming girl.


Peter sighed as he let his legs dangle off the side of the building. He was currently fifty stories up on a building with wind ruffling his hair.

"Gah…" he grunted as he thought back on what the doctor had said. "That bitch doesn't know anything!" he shouted in anger.

"Man…" he moaned, falling on his back.

BRRRIIINNGG! BRRIINNNGGG!

Peter pulled out his cell phone to see it was Mary Jane calling. His finger rolled over to the cancel button, but he hesitated. He remembered his conversation with Liz and sighed.

"No regrets." He muttered before he answered it.

"Hey MJ." He said.

"Spider-Man…" the voice growled.

"Who is this?" Peter asked. "Where's MJ?!"

"You tried to stop my rage last time…but Hammer still died…and so will your pretty red-head."

"Otto!" Peter gasped. "If you do anything to hurt her I'll ri—"

"Meet me on the Brooklyn Bridge in thirty minutes or she dies. Be punctual."


Brooklyn Bridge

Sophia Chat had never been this terrified before in her life. She sat in the back seat of her family's SUV with her brother next to her and her parents in the front.

Everyone of them was gripping the seats for dear life as they stared down at the cold New York bay.


Doctor Octopus stood on one of the many towers that supported the massive bridge. All four of his mechanical limbs were outstretched, two of them held the red SUV containing the family of four, while another held Mary Jane, who clung to the arm for dear life as she was held out in the air.

She looked to the side to see Otto glaring out at the bridge. His eyes constantly swept over the area, searching for something. Mary Jane knew what he was searching for, more accurately, who he was searching for.

"He's gonna stop you!" she screamed.

Octavius spared her a glance before returning his gaze to the bridge. But MJ didn't let up.

"He'll stop you just like last time!"

"He didn't stop me last time. I succeeded in killing Hammer. Spider-Man will fail just like last time."

"He learns." MJ said with a smirk. "Anyone who beats him just gest a ticket for first-class beat down during round two. He'll stop you."

Octavius willed the tentacle closer to him as he stared at the defiant redhead up close. "You really believe that?" he asked with a neutral tone.

"Absolutely." She said with a smirk.

"How will he beat me, when he's too busy saving you?" he said.

His tentacle went slack for a moment, allowing the girl to plummet a few feet before she was snagged by the taut tentacle. The metal appendage lifted her back up again to a smiling Octavius.

"He'll have to choose. Save his girlfriend, or the car full of innocent bystanders. I wonder which one he'll choose?" Doc Oc said with a sinister grin.

MJ just glared at him as she gripped the metal arm tighter.

"It doesn't matter to me." The mad man said as he hoisted the girl off the edge of the bridge again. "Whether you live or die means nothing to me. As long as Parker dies…nothing will stand in my way."

"Is that right!?" a voice screamed.

All eyes turned to see a single red and black-clad human standing atop the opposite side of the bridge. Doc Oc sneered while MJ grinned and Sophia's family stared in shock at Spider-Man.

"I see the little spider has come out to play." Doc Oc shouted across the bridge. "Finally, you will pay for your insolence!" he screamed.

Spider-Man glared at the man through the reflective lenses of his mask. His fists were closed, shaking in near rage. He took a solid breath to calm the urge of his basic instincts, the urge to murder the man here and now.

"This is between me and you Otto. They have nothing to do with this." Peter said as he looked between his girlfriend and the car of four innocents. "How about you just slowly put them back down on the bridge, and we can settle this man-to-man. Or rather amazingly-awesome super hero to whack-job super-villain."

"They're lives mean nothing to me, Parker!" the man shouted.

Peter's eyes widened while Otto continued. "They're nothing but ants beneath my boot. They're less than the pieces of paper that cling to our bottoms! They are garbage, and yet you seem so keen on saving them."

"It's called being the better man. Something you wouldn't know anything about!"

"Is that so Mr. Parker?"

"I don't know who this Mr. Parker is. So why don't you cut the chit-chat and we can skip to the part where I kick your ass and send you off to jail!"

"Playing coy, are we? Perhaps this will clear things up, Peter." Otto sneered with an evilly ecstatic grin. In his free hand, he held a small object, no bigger than the size of a dime.

Even from this distance, Peter could recognize the spider-like shape his personal tracking devices bore.

"I traced this back to you. Imagine my surprise when I discovered who you are! The son of my most reviled enemy!"

"My dad wasn't your enemy, Doc, he wasn't anyone's enemy! This is all Jackal's craziness fucking with your head! It's not you! You and my parents were friends!"

"They were my enemies! They stood against my work! My destiny!"

"Those are Warren's words! Not yours!"

"SILENCE!" Octavius screamed as his arms flailed.

Peter flinched as he saw both his girlfriend and the family shake violently in the madman's arms.

"CHOOSE!" he screamed.


"Watanabe!" Jean DeWolfe screamed as she ran up to an Asian detective.

Detective Yuriko 'Yuri' Watanabe glanced at her old friend before looking back up at the top of the bridge. "DeWolfe." She replied curtly as she gripped her gun tightly.

"What the Hell is this?!" DeWolfe screamed as she saw the two figures glaring at each other from across the rooftops. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw what Doc Oc was holding.

"It's exactly what it look's like Jean. Hostage situation with one of Spidey's rogues."

"Is there anyone in the car?" DeWolfe asked.

"Yeah…family of four, from what our sniper can spot."

"Sniper? Who's our sniper?"

"Gonzales." Yuri replied as she watched the scene above play out, she didn't dare to look away, afraid that if she did, something terrible would happen.

"Gonzales? We have a hostage situation and we put that trigger happy ass on a gun?!"

"He's a crack-shot, but he's under orders to hold fire." Yuri said.

"You believe he will?" Jean asked as she stared up at the Spider-Man.

"I sure as Hell hope so. Really there's nothing we can do. He won't talk to cops and we take a shot at him He'll drop the hostages."

"So we just have to wait this out?" DeWolfe muttered. "That's fucking great."

"Bright side is that we got Spider-Man here, right?" Yuri asked as she looked at her friend.

"Yeah…"

"We sure he won't endanger the hostages?" Frank Quaid asked as he jogged over to the two detectives.

DeWolfe looked at her old partner and mentor before shaking her head. "No. He won't risk lives unless he's got a plan."

"Not to be a pessimist, but how can you be sure?" Yuri asked.

"Trust me." Jean said, giving her colleagues a knowing look. "I know."


"What?" Spider-Man asked as he saw Otto stretch his mechanical limbs. He could feel his body tense as he watched the madman hold the lives of five people so delicately.

"I said, choose." Otto declared again. He gestured to both his hostages. "Save the life of your girlfriend, and watch the family of four drown, or do the opposite. Be the hero. Save the many, and let the girl die."

"Your insane." Peter snarled.

"I'm a realist. Attachments are weaknesses. And this is a perfect example of how." Spider-Man glared at the man with sheer hatred. "This is why I will win." Otto said.

"Your morality leaves you predictable. Just like last time. I bested you by threatening innocents."

"Bested?" Peter questioned. "I seem to remember that differently."

"What?"

"Yeah…I remember something along the lines of me kicking your ass and you running out with your tail between your legs. AH! That's right! You threw an air-conditioner into the streets so you could run the like the coward you are!"

"I am no coward!" Otto roared.

"You are a coward. Three people were hurt in that accident. One won't walk again."

"Hundreds of people die every day. Three injuries are nothing to me." Otto said coldly.

"The kid was eight. He was a kid. Now he's crippled because of you. A coward."

"The world is cruel. Why should I be any different? Showing concern, compassion, understanding, mercy, for others is useless! WEAK!"

"Weak? No…no. You know what I've learned in the last year alone? It's that compassion and mercy are virtues that only the strong are privileged to posses. And I am strong. Every person on the planet who cares for someone other than themselves is strong. But you? You were once strong. But now you're less than you've ever been."

"ENOUGH!" Octavius screamed as his tentacles shook violently. Mary Jane and the family screamed as they felt themselves grow closer to being dropped.

"I AM STRONG! YOU ARE INFERIOR! WEAK! NOW CHOOSE! CHOOSE WHO WILL DIE!"

Peter swallowed hard as he looked at the two hostages held in Otto's grip. Mary Jane was hanging on by the edge of her fingertips while the bumper of the car threatened to break off.

Peter's mind raced. Dozens of plans shot through his head as he tried to find the best solution, the best plan to rescue both his girlfriend, and the family trapped in the car.

He had to do something, he couldn't just sit here and wait for the worst to happen. His eyes darted between Mary Jane and the car.

"CHOOSE!" Otto roared. "NOW!"

He couldn't. Peter couldn't choose.

"PETER!" Mary Jane shouted. Tears spilled from her eyes as her fingers clung to the metal arm.

"Please…" she begged. "Do the right thing."

Peter's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. His pulse quickened and time slowed to a crawl as what happened next shocked him and everyone on the bridge.

Mary Jane closed her eyes, and let go.

Octvius watched, stunned as he saw the girl willingly let go of her only lifeline, and plummet.


The police scrambled as they saw the teenaged girl plummet from the top of the bridge. Yuri grabbed her radio and blared her orders at the top of her lungs.

"GONZALES! SHOOT!"


On the opposite end of the bridge, officer Vincent Gonzales lay prone on the top of a SWAT truck, looking through the scope of his rifle, the crosshairs lined with Otto's chest.

And then he heard the order.

"GONZALES! SHOOT!"

Gonzales narrowed his eye. His breathing stopped as he concentrated. He'd done two tours in Afghanistan, he'd been on the force for eight years. He was the guy who'd shoot first. He was the guy that always hit the mark.

He pulled the trigger.


BANG!

Otto heard the shot and heard the slightest 'ping' as he felt something smash against his tentacle. He grunted as he felt a punch strike him across the side. He stumbled back while his tentacles flailed behind him to support him.

Otto looked down to see a small red blotch on his green trench coat. His eyes widened at he realized what had happened. They'd shot him. And he was bleeding. The spot slowly grew as more of his blood poured through the tiny hole that had torn his flesh open.

With his thoughts in disarray, the car fell from his grip. The family inside screamed as they felt gravity take hold, plunging them towards the deep waters beneath the bridge.

Spider-Man leapt from his perch. He put everything he had into the jump. He dived outwards aiming straight for the car.

He fired off a web-line that snagged the vehicles roof. Using his strength, he pulled himself towards the vehicle smashing into its roof, causing a massive dent to appear in the ceiling. Sophia and her brother screamed as the roof nearly caved in.

Peter leapt off the car, aiming straight for his still falling girlfriend. He spun in midair firing a thick net of webbing, the largest he'd ever fired, and let it hit the car. He cut off the flow of the webbing, snapping the webbing.

His hand trailed down his waist where he plucked a web-grenade from the belt hidden below his waistline. He primed the weapon before hurling it towards the web-covered car.

The grenade sailed over the car before exploding near the wall. Strands of impact webbing wrapped around everything, hitting the bridge and catching the car by its base. The vehicle jerked forward before being pulled back by the high-tensile compound.

Spider-Man turned his head to see Mary Jane quickly approaching the water.

Peter held out his arm and aimed the edge of his shooter at the falling form of the redhead. Wind whipped past their faces as the two teens quickly approached the cold liquid underneath the famous landmark.

Spider-Man calmed his raging heartbeat, slowed his breathing as he enhanced his sight. He let all other senses dull, just as Matt and Kraven had taught him. He let it all go, focusing on the only thing that mattered. He stretched out his left arm, pointing it towards the bridge.

He squeezed the trigger and watched the strands fly.

THWIP!

The web-line struck the girl's wrist before going taught. Even through his concentration, Peter heard the snap.

"GAAH!" MJ screamed as she dangled below her savior.

Spider-Man pulled her up to him and grabbed her by the waist. "Hold on!"

He fired off another web-line before swinging up to the top of the bridge. He landed on the support and gently rested his injured girlfriend on the ground.

"Agh…" she moaned, gripping her arm in pain. Peter knelt down next to her and pulled off the lower portion of his mask.

"Mary Jane!" he cried out as he saw the shape her arm was in. It was twisted at an unnatural angle as the remains of his webbing remained stuck to her wrist. He gingerly reached his hand out towards the wounded arm.

"Don't touch it!" MJ screamed as he held her arm in pain.

"It's broken!" Peter said before spraying a coating of webbing on it.

"AH!" MJ screamed again as her boyfriend made a makeshift sling for her arm. He finished the first-aid by wrapping the webbing and sticking it to her neck.

"I know it hurts, but this will have to do until the paramedics get here."

MJ grunted in pain but nodded her head. Peter gently laid her down on the ground as he saw the detectives coming from the other side of the bridge.

"That was reckless." The teen said with a concerned look. MJ forced a smile through her pain and tried to lean up, but Peter stopped her.

"It's what you would've done…I couldn't let you let them drop, so I made the choice for you." MJ said.

"That's not what I wanted…" Peter said as he cupped her face with his hand. MJ leaned into it before smiling at him.

Peter's eyes drifted to her broken arm and raged filled his mind. Mary Jane saw the change in her boyfriend's face. She could see it in his eyes. The hatred, the rage, and starved looked of a man hungry for revenge.

"Peter…" she pleaded as the teen stood up. He pulled his mask down to cover his face before turning away.

"P-Spider-Man! Wait!" MJ screamed as he ran past the detectives.

"Take care of her!" He shouted at them before leaping into the air. He landed on the top of the bridge and looked across it to see Doc Oc was tearing his way through the dozens of cars that blocked the road.

SWAT and police fired at him, but their shots were blocked by the man's tentacles and the dozens of cars he threw at them. The vehicles smashed into the ground, scattering the police as the mad-man scurried away on his four arms. The tentacles shot forward, latching onto a building before propelling him through the air.

Spider-Man leapt from the bridge and fired a web-line, snagging another end of the bridge support and pulling himself closer to the city.


Otto scrambled on the ground as his mechanicals limbs stomped the ground. He clutched his side in pain, doing his best to keep up the pressure to stop the loss of any more blood.

"Damn them!" he swore as he stumbled into the middle of an intersection. Cars honked at him before he swatted a car off the road, sending it flying into the side of a shop.

"No one wounds me! NO ONE!" he screamed.

"For the love of god!"

Otto turned around and was met with the full force of a blow to the chest by Spider-Man who smashed his feet into the madman's ribs. He smashed into the side of a car, demolishing its door.

"Just…SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Otto barely had time to react. His left tentacle flew out, swatting the enraged hero away as he tried to pounce on the wounded doctor.

Spider-Man crashed into the ground, but rolled to his feet before he lunged forward. He smashed into the side of a car and lifted it with all his strength. He turned to Otto who was struggling to stand. When the doctor looked up, his eyes widened in fear.

Spider-Man hurled the car at the injured man and Otto scrambled to the side. His tentacles pulled him forward, allowing the car to smash into the ground behind him.

Otto stumbled, trying to stand, and saw Spider-Man leap towards him, barreling him into another car.


"Dammit! Get us closer!" Norah Winters yelled as her cameraman drove the van through the crowded streets. People were screaming, fleeing their cars in terror as the battle raged a few blocks down.

"Norah, the goddamn streets are blocked! We're not getting through!"

"Dammit." She muttered. She pulled up her satchel and pulled out a digital camera. She popped open the screen and started filming. She kicked open her door and sprinted off down the street, ignoring the calls of her cameraman to come back where it was safe.

Norah sprinted past the screaming throngs until she reached the edge of the battleground. She kneeled down besides a damaged car and peered over the edge, locking her camera on the two beings duking it out in the streets.


Spider-Man slashed at Otto, his claws scraping against the man's steel tentacles as they struggled against his brutal onslaught. Spider-Man grabbed a flailing limb and threw the man over his shoulder.

Otto's arms slammed into the ground, preventing him from breaking his back. He wheeled around, lashing out with his arms, tearing the streets apart as they whipped the ground.

Peter danced through the attacks, bobbing and weaving under the arms while firing off shots of webbing when he could.

Otto felt an impact web hit him in the arm, trapping his right forearm in a cocoon of thick sludge. Spider-Man lunged forward, unleashing all four of his mechanical arms.

The teen crashed into the man, sending them both tumbling into the street. One tentacle slammed Peter in the chest, throwing him off.

"How dare you!" Otto roared. His mechanical arms flew up to defend him while Spider-Man's waldos slashed at the metal appendages. Peter's rage drove him as his mechanical scythes hacked away at Otto's arms.

"You filth! You trash!" Spider-Man screamed as he continued his assault on the madman.

"How dare you!" Otto roared. A tentacle shot towards peter's face, only to be caught by the enraged hero. Spider-Man grunted as he shattered the appendage, breaking its coils.

Spider-Man flung the man around, smashing him into the cold asphalt. The mad-teen wasted no time in pouncing on the man. His tentacles flailed as they tried to swat at Spider-Man, only to be felled by the hero's waldos. Red scythes clashed against steel coils, sending sparks everywhere.


Norah watched from across the street as a police cruiser sped around the crowded street before stopping near the edge of the intersection. Captain George Stacy kicked open his door before leaping out of the car. He looked at the middle of the intersection to see the two post-humans tearing apart the streets.

He drew his sidearm and sprinted towards the battle doing his best to avoid the flying debris that sailed overhead. He saw from the corner of his eye, a blonde-haired woman standing behind a car, filming on a portable camera.

He looked up to see a car flying towards her.

"Look out!" he screamed, tackling the woman to the ground as the vehicle smashed into the side of the street, shattering the glass and metal. Norah looked up at her savior, but George's eyes were still locked on the two beings trashing the street with their struggle.


"GRAH!" Spider-Man screamed as he slammed the doctor into the ground. He gripped the base of Otto's tentacles, while his waldos slashed at the attacking arms. Spider-Man gripped the bases before using all his strength, he could feel the tentacles squirm and writhe as Otto screamed in pain.

"N-NO! PLEASE! NO!"

"GRAAUGH!" Spider-Man screamed as he tore the tentacles form the man's back. Blood spurted from Otto's spin as two more of his limbs were torn from his spine. The remaining tentacle slammed the hero in the head, sending him tumbling back.

"MY ARMS! YOU TORE OFF MY ARMS!"


"Oh my god…" Norah whispered a she saw Otto crawl on the ground. His remaining tentacle clawed the ground, pulling its owner forward as fast as it could manage.


"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

Otto turned his head to see the vicious and terrifying form of Spider-Man looming over him. His four scythe-like waldos poised to strike. The man's reaming tentacles rose to defend its master, only to be bogged down by a hail of impact webbing, trapping the last arm on the ground.

"NO! PLEASE!" Otto screamed. Spider-Man's scythes shot down, spearing the man through the shoulders. His cries of pain where ignored as the arachnid themed-hero hoisted him into the air.

He grabbed Otto by the throat, silencing his screams as he started to choke. Peter cracked him across the face, grinning as he heard the satisfying crack. Blood dripped down the man's face from the gash that hovered over his eye.

Spider-Man raised his talons up to Otto's face, showing him the razor-sharp claws. He could see the fear in the bastard's eyes, the same fear that had been in the eyes of the family in the car. The same fear he saw in MJ's eyes. And the thoughts enraged him.

Spider-Man squeezed Otto's throat tighter. He could hear the man choking, but he didn't care. He had to die. The man who had hurt so many had to die.


Norah lowered her camera as she saw the masked hero strangle Doc Oc. "Oh my god…" she whispered in horror. She could see Otto's feet, flailing above the ground with blood dripping from his wounds.

Captain Stacy looked at the seen in horror. His hand gripped his gun and he raised it, leveling it at Spider-Man's skull.


Spider-Man roared as he reeled back his claws, ready to end it all. "SAY GOODBYE OTTO!"

BANG!

"Guh!" Spider-Man grunted as he felt the built scrape the side of his mask, cracking the metal plates that lined his skull. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his skull, but he didn't stop. He kept chocking Otto with one hand before he turned his head slightly.

"George…"

"GET ON YOUR KNEES! HANDS IN THE AIR!" Captain Stacy screamed.

Spider-Man ignored him before grabbing Otto with his other hand, and he continued to strangle him. Stacy ran forward, gun in hand.

"Spider-Man! STOP!" But Spider-Man ignored him, continuing to crush Otto's throat.

"Spider-Man! Stop! Goddammit think about this! This isn't what you want!"

Again, Spider-Man ignored him.

George's eyes widend as he lowered his gun. "My god…you have thought about this…you're ready to cross that line…"

"GRRRK!" Otto gurgled as he thrashed about in the hero's grip.

"Spider-Man…Peter…please, don't do this. I know I can't stop you. So I can only appeal to you through the memory of my daughter. She was your friend. She way Mary Jane's friend. Please, don't soil her memory, please, let him go. Gwen wouldn't want this."

Peter's grip softened. He turned his head to look the police captain in the eye. George looked at him pleading, his gun hanging limply at his side.

"George…I…" Peter started.

"Spider-Man…if you do this, if you kill him, if you don't let him go this instant, I will bring the full force of the law down upon you, and I will bring you in."

Spider-Man looked at Otto, he saw the bloodied and broken man, and a face flashed in front of him, Caradeen. Peter turned away and tossed the broken villain down on the ground.

"Captain Stacy…I—" George held up his hand to stop him. He pulled up his radio and clicked.

"Were at 45th and 50, I need and ambulance." He turned his gaze away from the broken Doc Oc and looked at Spider-Man. "Leave." He said. "Mary Jane's at 5th & General. Now get out of here before I have you arrested."

Spider-Man turned to look at the police captain, and then back down at Otto's beaten body. He fired off his webs and leapt into the air, swinging away as Norah filmed the whole thing.


BOOM! Another chapter done. Did this chapter scare you? Or did you know the outcome?

As for Captain Stacy's speech, I admit I did alter it, but it originally came from the Batman Hush story, if you don't know it, look it up on Comicstorian's Youtube channel.

Next Time: Chapter 53: Shathra Part 1