Chapter 2 [Studio]

Sound Checks finished. Scripts were in place. The director pointed toward the catwalk. The cameras turned toward the stage. Theme music blared forth from the speakers.

"And now…live from New York! HEEEERRREEE'S MAARRVVIINNNN!"

The brown haired man nodded to the audience. He raised his hands. "GOOD EVENING, NEW YORK AND AMERICA! WELCOME TO THE REALLY LATE SHOW! I know I say this a lot. Tonight though we've got a really good show!"

"You can say that again, Marvin. Who'd ever have thunk it? I mean we had Spider-Man here what? A year ago? The sparks sure flew at that point!" Sarcasm and Comedy attempted to lighten up the situation.

Two beats of the drum and cymbals punctuated that pun….

"Ralph! Really?" Marvin frowned. He recalled the unexpected fight between their guest and their new electrician, Max Dillon…or rather Electro. The crashed episode cost the network thousands of dollars. "Well you can ask one of our guests tonight about that."

"Really? Spider-Man's here? I wouldn't think he'd show!" Ralph assumed. He glanced toward the ceiling and catwalks for a sudden entrance.

"With SWAT and the NYPD all over this place, I'd be very surprised!" Marvin walked over to the table. His hand grabbed that day's Daily Bugle on the table. "No. I think this took care of that." He opened it. His eyes scanned the headline. "And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, concerns our subject for tonight. Hero, menace, vigilante or something else? Unless you've been under a rock or possibly on the Moon for the last thirty six hours, you know the big news story. You all know the one I'm talking about. When Spider-Man was here last and just before the incident Max referred to happened, I asked him why he wore a mask. Well he hedged. I believe we now have the answer why the Web Slinger did so. I know there are different feelings across the spectrum. But consider the man under the mask. Well at last we know…" Marvin looked at the headline again. "We know the real face behind the mask. We're getting to know Peter Parker. From my research and our guests tonight, I've discovered some things. He was on scholarship at ESU and a science major. He was a freelance photographer for The Daily Bugle. His parents, Richard and Mary Parker, were recently exonerated CIA agents who died on assignment when Mr. Parker was very young. That exoneration, I might add, happened because of Mr. Parker's direct intervention against Nazi sleeper cells in Algeria. His uncle, Ben Parker, was gunned down three years ago. Right now, his aunt lies in a hospital bed. His wife, Gwen Stacy Parker, is waiting in back with the other guests. I will advise and caution you, Ladies and Gentlemen. There are intense feelings on both sides. We'll shed some more light on these issues. Although many have volunteered to speak tonight, we tried to represent different perspectives. First we have Mrs. Parker and Joe Robertson, former City Editor of the Daily Bugle. Her attorney, Matt Murdock, is here. Captain America has joined us. On the other side, we have J. Jonah Jameson, the Daily Bugle's publisher. Let's bring them out. Shall we?"

Gwen stepped out onto the stage. The butterflies pounded at her stomach ever harder. She made herself cross the room toward the table. Her eyes surveyed the audience and the cameras. She tuned them all out. Her boots' click clack against the floor boomed in her ears. "Thank you for having us, Sir." She shook Marvin's and Max's respective hands. "My father enjoyed being in the audience before."

"Oh?" Max looked to Marvin.

"Her father was George Stacy, Gentlemen." Robbie shook their hands next. "I appreciate this opportunity as well."

"We should be fair. Right?" Marvin motioned toward the table.

"Hrumph! Fair? They're harboring that wall crawling menace! Where is he? WHERE'S PARKER?" Jameson stalked across the stage.

"You think I'm…?" Gwen grabbed onto the side of the table. "I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE HE IS TOO! I'M WORRIED SICK! I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM SINCE HE THREW HIMSELF OUT THE CHURCH WINDOW!" Tears welled up behind her eyes. "Do you know what you've done? DO YOU EVEN CARE?"

"Jonah, sit down!" Robbie pointed toward the chairs. "Gwen, just take a deep breath. He's so consumed with his own hate."

"Hate? Now look, Robertson!" Jonah bristled at that accusation.

"Mr. Jameson, your seat please." Marvin rubbed his forehead. "Mrs. Parker, can I get you some water?"

"I…I'll be fine. I'm sorry. It's been a difficult day. Thank you." She sat down on the left chair. Emerald Fire flashed in her eyes. "I wish Commissioner DeWolff was here. I'd have a few words for him too." She shook her head. "I'll focus, Marvin."

"Thank you. Given what you're going through, it's quite understandable." Marvin sat down with the group. "Since we're here to get to know your husband, perhaps we can start with your aunt? I am sorry…"

"No." Gwen nodded. "Aunt May's on life support right now. The shock caused a massive heart attack. We honestly don't know if she's going to bounce back." She frowned.

"Maybe he should've thought of that…." Jameson snarked to himself.

Gasps came from the audience. No matter what they thought of Peter's actions, they couldn't believe Jonah's callousness.

"He did, Mr. Jameson." Gwen gulped from the water glass in front of herself. "I've only known Peter since we started college together. He intrigued me from the start. Still he was so self-absorbed. You'll remember all of the issues from that point. He worried about school. Aunt May had health issues. She needed medication. Most of all, he was worried about money. You never paid him fairly. He knew it. He stayed with you out of loyalty. He couldn't let any of us know that he was Spider-Man. He lied, made excuses and avoided us at times. He put on elaborate acts to keep us from knowing."

"And yet some did find out before the rest of us that is?" Marvin watched her and the others.

"As careful as Peter was, some people did find out. Peter told me that he was discovered more than once. Spenser Smythe used cameras to find out. Norman Osborn in his psychotic state as the Green Goblin followed Peter, kidnapped and tortured him. Mr. Osborn kidnapped me to draw Peter out. He threw me off the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. When his attempt to kill us failed, he mailed the photos to Mr. Jameson." She sighed.

"Smythe…knew?" Shock widened Jameson's eyes.

"He did. So did my father at the end apparently." She sighed.

"I'm not surprised." Robbie drank from his cup. "Excuse me. Captain Stacy researched Peter's exploits as Spider-Man. He and I talked over dinner and coffee. He seemed to be more and more interested in Peter. It wasn't just because he was dating Gwen. He asked pressing questions. I don't know about those evasions. I suspect that as Captain Stacy seemed to get closer to the truth, Peter misdirected Gwen and him to get him off the track."

"Stacy knew and he didn't say anything? Hrumph!" Jameson groused.

"Peter saved our lives several times. He stopped a prison riot and saved Dad's life. How many other times has he stepped up for others that we don't know about?" She shook her head.

"He's saved your life several times, Jonah, as well." Purpose stabbed from Robbie's eyes into Jameson's.

"The question is how often your obsession with Spider-Man endangered people needlessly? Such as paying Electro to attack Spider-Man in here?"

"What?" Marvin stared at Jameson. "Mr. Jameson! Is that….?"

Indignation and Rage reddened Jameson's face. "Don't you turn this around on me! You arranged for that menace to be here on television! I wasn't going to allow that!"

"Then you paid for him to attack Spider-Man here." Cap fumed. He somehow kept his temper. "You endangered a television audience such as this one! For what? Your vendetta? That's terrorism!"

"Now you wait just a minute! And you so-called 'heroes' don't do that every day? Parker's guilty of Stacy's death. He…" Jameson got right up in Cap's face.

"Sometimes if we're attacked, we don't have a choice. When I'm with the Avengers or by myself, I make sure there aren't civilians around. I can't speak to what happened in the case of Mrs. Parker's father's death. I'm very sure Spider-Man would sacrifice himself before allowing anyone to die. I don't care for his irreverence but allowing an innocent to die? No." Cap shook his head.

"Peter told me Dr. Octopus attacked him out in the open. He didn't want the fight on that rooftop. He didn't have a choice. The police tried to keep the crowd back." Gwen bit her lip. "Peter tried to secure those metal arms. Something happened. Dr. Octopus tore a chimney apart. It fell apart and down toward the crowd. My Dad saw a child and leapt into harm's way to try and save him. Dad managed to get the boy out of the way but was struck himself. Peter tried to get Dad to the hospital. Dad called him Peter. With his last words, he gave Peter his blessing and told him to take care of me." She wiped her eyes. "Peter was not responsible for my father's death! I assumed just like everyone else did. It's not the case!"

"Likely story! Parker's a serial liar! He…" Jameson ranted.

"So, Mr. Jameson, what is the difference between Dr. Octopus and Electro? Both ambushed Spider-Man in the open. You paid off Electro. Perhaps if we dig deeper, we might find more activity?" Marvin looked at the exposure editorial again.

Jameson stiffened. "It's my money! I can spend it however I want! You all want to bring down super villains! Fine! I'll bring down Parker!"

"HOW DARE YOU?" She jumped out of her seat. "Peter Parker is no criminal!"

"No he is not. That's all I need for Mr. Parker's defense." Murdock scribbled notes on his yellow legal pad. "And, Mr. Jameson, we'll be seeing you in court as well."

"WHAT? You've got no case against me, Murdock! I'll have you disbarred for defending that maniac! I…." Jameson brought his fist down on the table. "You're really blind! You know that?"

Marvin saw two patrolmen approaching Jameson. He could see handcuffs in one of their hands.

Seemed that the Bugle's publisher was about to get his long overdue comeuppance.

Too bad Peter wasn't around to see it….